Solar bus

Key takeaways

Solar bus belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Solar bus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Solar bus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A solar bus or solar-charged bus is a bus that is powered exclusively or mainly by solar energy. Solar-powered bus service is referred to as a solar bus service. The use of the term "solar bus" normally implies that solar energy is used not only for powering electric equipment on the bus, but also for the propulsion of the vehicle. Existing solar buses are battery-electric buses or (in the case of hybrid solar buses) hybrid buses equipped with batteries that are recharged from solar (or other) power sources; a launch of solar bus service often goes hand in hand with investments for large-scale installations of stationary solar panels with photovoltaic cells. Similarly, like other solar vehicles, many solar buses have photovoltaic cells contained in solar panels on the vehicle's roof which converts the sun's energy directly into electric energy to be used by the motor. The introduction of solar buses and other green vehicles for purposes of public transport forms a part of sustainable transport schemes.

About

Solar-only and solar-electric bus services The distinction between a solar-only electric bus and an electro-solar bus is fluid, as the distinction depends on the actual usage: whether the bus is recharged from solar or other power sources. Solar-only bus services involve recharging the bus from solar energy, usually from solar panel-covered bus station canopies. The concept is similar to that of solar parking plot for cars and bicycles, where vehicles can re-charge while parked. The need for recharging poses constraints on the run and standstill times of the bus. The implementation of a solar bus service benefits from the optimization of overall requirements for the specific bus service. Electro-solar buses are powered additionally from electric power transmitted from power plants; hybrid solar buses may be equipped with hybrid engines.

Commercially available shuttle buses Open-air low-speed electric shuttle sightseeing buses equipped with a solar panel-covered roof are produced in series and are commercially available. According to the producers, solar panels save energy and prolong the battery life cycle.

Use

Australia The Tindo solar battery-charged bus ("Tindo", Kaurna word for sun) is an experimental battery electric vehicle that operates in Adelaide, Australia. It is the world's first solar bus, operating since 2007. It uses 100% solar power, is equipped with a regenerative braking system and air conditioning and can carry up to 40 persons, 25 of whom are seated. The bus itself is not equipped with solar panels. It receives electric power from a photovoltaic system on Adelaide's central bus station. Hailed as the world's first bus service powered exclusively by solar power, the bus service connects Adelaide City and North Adelaide as part of Adelaide City's sustainable transport agenda. The Tindo is part of the 98A and 98C bus service (until recently known as the Adelaide Connector) which is offered as free public transport.

China Within the Chinese government's program for the clean transport sector, China's first solar hybrid buses were put in operation in July 2012 in the city of Qiqihar. Its engine is powered by lithium-ion batteries which are fed by solar panels installed on the bus roof. It is claimed that each bus consumes 0.6 to 0.7 kilowatt-hours of electricity per kilometre and can transport up to 100 persons and that the use of solar panels prolongs the batteries' lifetime by 35 per cent.

Europe Austria's first solar-powered bus was put in operation in the village of Perchtoldsdorf. Its powertrain, operating strategy, and design specification were specifically optimized given its planned regular service routes. It has been in trial operation since autumn 2011. The tribrid bus is a hybrid electric bus developed by the University of Glamorgan, Wales, for use as student transport between the university's different campuses. It is powered by hydrogen fuel or solar cells, batteries and ultracapacitors.

India In March 2020, Energy Swaraj — An Essence of Sustainability, a program conducted by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) was launched, led by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Professor Chetan Singh Solanki. The group travelled to 25 cities aboard a solar bus built by Chetan Singh Solanki to promote the benefits and practicality of using solar energy. The bus had 3.2 kW solar panels and 6 kWh of battery storage.

UK The first Solar Bus in the UK was launched in Brighton in April 2017. Following a marathon six week effort from hundreds of local people, The Big Lemon and Brighton Energy Coop's joint Solar Bus project has won funding from the M&S Community Energy Fund to cover the roof of The Big Lemon’s bus depot in solar panels to power the new electric buses on clean green renewable energy. The bus was named "Om Shanti", by one of the Solar Roof partners, Viper IT Solutions. The 120 solar panels will generate 30,000kWh per year of electricity – the equivalent of 1.8 million boiled kettles. With no emissions, the Solar Buses will reduce noxious gases in some of Brighton and Hove's most polluted areas and will power the 52 route between Woodingdean and Brighton on 100% renewable energy. The Solar Bus project was one of 199 different applications to the scheme, 125 of which were shortlisted. These were put to public vote for six weeks during September and October and the voting process also included the option to donate to the project via the Crowdfunding platform. The Solar Bus project was one of 19 regional winners, with 1549 votes, 170 pledges, and a total of £13,325 raised through crowdfunding, almost half the total amount of £28,798 raised through the scheme nationally. The project will benefit from £12,500 funding from M&S Energy which, together with the £13,325 crowdfunding donations will fund the solar array on the roof of the bus depot.

Uganda The Kayoola Solar Bus is a 35-seater electric solar bus with zero tailpipe emissions, a range of 80 km, with latent range extension from the real-time charging enabled by the roof-mounted solar panels. The development of the Kayoola Solar Bus Concept represents the commitment of the Kiira Motors Project to championing the progressive development of local capacity for Vehicle Technology Innovation, a key ingredient for institutionalizing a sustainable Vehicle Manufacturing Industry in Uganda.

United States

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Solar bus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Solar bus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Solar bus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Solar bus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Solar bus

In research: Solar bus appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Solar bus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Solar bus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Automotive technologies, Battery electric vehicles, Buses by type, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Solar bus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Solar bus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Solar bus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Solar bus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Solar bus in simple terms?

A solar bus or solar-charged bus is a bus that is powered exclusively or mainly by solar energy. Solar-powered bus service is referred to as a solar bus service.

Why does Solar bus matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Solar bus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Solar bus.